~ Novels by Mark Anthony & Galen Beckett

The Last Rune Series

“Beyond the Pale offers a diverse cast of characters and a well-realized world in which the expected does not happen.” —Robin Hobb, author of Assassin’s Apprentice

“Anthony demonstrates his ability to create memorable characters in this impressive series opener.” —Library Journal

“A decidedly superior fantasy, Mark Anthony maintains the tradition of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings and Terry Brooks’ Sword of Shannara, while bringing a polished contemporary approach to classic High Fantasy.” —Amazon.co.uk

Web Exclusive—Read an original short story set in the world of Eldh!

“The King of Winter” was originally published in Dragon Magazine #265. The story takes place centuries before the events of Beyond the Pale, and tells the tale of Dor Calavus, the loyal commander of a lonely outpost of the Tarrasian empire, and the desperate events that led to the founding of the oldest of the seven Dominions.

Reality is unraveling in the dusty Colorado town of Castle City. Strange symbols are carved into storefronts, and ancient legends come to life. Saloonkeeper Travis Wilder is handed an ornate iron box and a mysterious mission. And in Denver, where dead men walk, ER doctor Grace Beckett is witness to a terrifying and inhuman scene of carnage. Theirs is a destiny shrouded in a coming darkness, a destiny that draws them into the otherworld of Eldh….

Eldh is a land of gods and monsters, myths and runecraft, conspiracy and blood. It is a world that has secretly coexisted beside ours for millennia. But now the boundary between worlds is crumbling in the face of a monstrous evil. And Travis and Grace must save this strange land in order to safeguard their own world.

Travis Wilder has returned from the otherworld of Eldh, hoping to settle back into his humdrum life in the mountains of contemporary Colorado. But he soon finds himself stalked by two shadowy organizations, each aware of his incredible journey and each determined to exploit it–whatever the cost to Travis…or to Eldh. Meanwhile, a terrifying new contagion is spreading like wildfire, a disease with no cure, which some are comparing to the Black Plague.

When the disease strikes his closest friend, Travis is drawn back to Eldh, where the same epidemic, known as the Burning Plague, is wreaking another kind of havoc. There, in a realm of gods and monsters, myths and runecraft, Travis and his former companion Grace Beckett—herself from Earth but now living on Eldh—must solve the riddle of the plague. Where did it come from? What is its purpose? And how can it possibly be stopped…before it completely destroys two coexisting worlds: ancient Eldh and modern Earth.

Travis Wilder and Grace Beckett have returned to modern Earth on a mission of mercy: to get medical help for the severely wounded Beltan, a knight from the otherworld of Eldh. But as Beltan lies unconscious in the ICU of a Denver hospital, a shadowy organization plots to kidnap him for use in its cruel experiments, while sinister forces of dark magic cross the boundary from Eldh in a murderous search for Travis and Grace.

Meanwhile, in Eldh itself, a young baroness, her witch companion, and their mortal and immortal friends journey to a dying city, there to confront a nameless evil that has begun to annihilate the very gods.

Somehow Travis and Grace must save Beltan and themselves, and then make their way back to Eldh, for only in this realm of gods and monsters, myth and runecraft, can they hope to defeat a demonic enemy that can shatter time, devour space, and turn existence into nothingness.

A twist of time has left Runebreaker Travis Wilder and three of his otherworldly friends stranded on 1880s Earth, in a lawless Colorado mining town. As they search for a way back to their own time, Grace Beckett—in present-day Eldh—journeys to a frozen kingdom where she learns her own terrifying destiny: to oppose the Pale King and his monstrous army in the coming cataclysmic battle that will decide Eldh’s future forever.

If the Pale King emerges victorious, his master Mohg, the dread Lord of Nightfall, will return from exile, break the First Rune, and remake Eldh in his own dark image. And Earth itself, Eldh’s sister world, will be next to fall to under shadow.

Even if Travis returns to Eldh in time to align his calling as Runebreaker with Grace’s destiny as Blademender, how can two mere human hope to defeat an evil more ancient than any world, more powerful than all existence?

The enigmatic Shemal has known only two Runebreakers. One, her rival Kelephon, serves the Pale King and his army of apocalypse. The other is Travis Wilder, the Runebreaker of prophecy. Now, in outcast and newly made Runebreaker Larad, Shemal has found a weapon to open the door between worlds.

As the shadow of Shemal’s master, the vengeful god Mohg, Lord of Nightfall, looms, Grace Beckett seeks to harness wild magic. and Travis Wilder joins her in the struggle between warriors and mages, witches and kings, and betrayers of every form.

As the time of final reckoning approaches, Travis and Grace will find themselves facing a dark conspiracy of evil whose virulence threatens to overwhelm anyone who stands in its way. Yet if they don’t succeed in stopping it, two worlds will be lost forever.

Runebreaker Travis Wilder has found a new life free of magic and fate—until an unexpected event draws him back to Eldh. Two thousand years ago, the city of sorcerers, Morindu the Dark, destroyed itself so that its secrets could not be stolen by its foes, the Scirathi. Blood sorcery was banned until the city could be raised from the sands that had swallowed it. But some defied that law—and now one has emerged with news that the lost city has been found. The Scirathi have only to find the key: the blood of Travis—or his daughter.

It has been prophesied that Travis is to raise Morindu the Dark, and he is prepared to accept his fate—though the Scirathi are not far behind him. But once Travis returns to Eldh, he and his old friend Grace Beckett will face even deadlier challenges as they battle age-old enemies to raise a city, to find the Last Rune, and to save the universe…

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8 thoughts on “The Last Rune Series”

O.K .I give up as a resident of the U.K . I’m feeling like someone has locked me in the attic at a certain orphanage outside Denver . Why can’t I get ebooks of my favourite series ? I have a Kindle Ereader , thie goes everywhere wtih me , Its loaded with Ray Feist , Dave Eddings , (the late) Roger Zelazny , Moorcock , Sage etc etc BUT there doesn’t seem to be any way I can get hold of “The Last Rune series” to load into it !!!! Bit of a downer realy . So will you please tell me how I can get the series in ebook form ?
Thanks
Bil Hardman

Many years ago I picked up a rather thick novel in the Fantasy section . I read the synopsis and “something” seemed to say “buy me” in the quiet part of my mind . So I did , and on my way home on the train I opened the first page of ” Beyond the Pale” and was lost . I have all the series now , in fact I have replaced two or three copies due to “hard reading” > So now I want to put them into my Kindle but cannot do this in this country .Help !!!!!

I have recentlt got myself a kindle and have tried to purchase both the gates of winter and the first rune as here in australia ive made inquireies at a couple of local bookstores and none of them have heard of them and on the kindle site it says its unvailable to purchase i have paperback copies of the first four books in the series and have been looking forward to reading the last two books to finish the series.

I was introduced to The Last Rune by a friend who has all 6 Books. I had never read fiction in my life. I’m 56 yrs. old. I found all 6 volumes hard to put down. I finally completed Book Six today. I feels like I’ve been on Eldh and Earth moving through adventure after adventure for months on end. Now it’s over! What’s a girl to do without Travis, Beltan, Grace, Vani, Aryn, Lirith and oh let’s not forget trustworthy and loyal Durge! I shall miss them all very very much. A fantastic series. I’ve been lost in them. Now, I have to clean up my house and come back to the “real” world. Thank you so much MA…it’s been great.

I had to chase them down to get all books together (took me months!) – was pretty tough to get them here in germany. They are no longer published, but I just reread them last year and it was AGAIN an amazing time with all my favourite characters – miss them a lot.
I even infected a good friend of mine with your books.
Thanks for such a joy in my life🙂

Many of my friends have seen this book series because of me, in fact my copies are still out and about being read by people I know. Haven’t seen them for going on 3 or 4 years possibly more with all the lending they have gone threw. I’m starting new again and love them just as much as the first time I read the second book (yes I started with the second book that I found at a used book store when I was 13) almost 12 years ago. This will be round 3 for the first 4 books and round 2 for book 5 and 6. I recommend this series to anyone who likes fantasy books, and wants to live an adventure. Never been so attached to characters like this series.

Asking what everyone else is thinking: collector’s edition??!
Please, please, please🙂
I would love to be able to buy a boxed set for my dad, seeing as I scooped his books when I left for university….
And I’ve just now discovered this alter ego of yours. Heavenly!